A river renowned for the "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" painting

The Fuchun River is the middle section of the Qiantang River. Its upper reaches, the Xin'an River, originate from Huangshan Mountain in Anhui, flowing through Chun'an County to Jiande County. The river continues eastward, passing Tonglu and entering Fuyang, where it is called the Fuchun River, stretching 102 kilometers with a basin area of 7,176 square kilometers. Further east, at Wenjiayan in Xiaoshan County, it becomes the Qiantang River. The Fuchun River is celebrated for its breathtaking scenery. Its banks are lined with lush, verdant mountains, and its waters are crystal clear, earning it the reputation of "unique mountains and extraordinary waters, unparalleled under heaven." Alongside the Yangtze River's Three Gorges and the Li River in Guilin, it is hailed as one of China's three great scenic wonders. Each season paints a different masterpiece: spring brings peach blossoms like brocade, summer dyes the river in emerald hues, autumn sets the banks ablaze with red maples, and winter adorns the landscape with poetic snowscapes. The river is also a muse for poetry. Since the Eastern Jin and Southern Dynasties, thousands of poets have traversed its waters, transforming it into a path of landscape appreciation and poetic dissemination, enriching it with a profound cultural heritage. Over the centuries, literary giants such as Xie Lingyun, Li Bai, Du Mu, Meng Haoran, Fan Zhongyan, and Lu You—more than 1,000 poets in total—not only explored the Fuchun River's "Little Three Gorges" but also left behind over 2,000 timeless works. The Fuchun River's beauty is immortalized in art. Framed by green mountains, its picturesque scenery makes it the most culturally resonant river. The "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" painting, set against this backdrop, captures the river's rolling hills, serene waters, rustic villages, and fishing boats at dusk through Huang Gongwang's delicate brushwork and rich ink variations. Elements like gentle peninsulas, small bridges, mountains, and fishing villages in the painting are quintessential scenes along the Fuchun River. Today, Miaoshanwu in Dongzhou Subdistrict, Fuyang, is where Huang Gongwang lived in seclusion for seven years in his later life, creating this masterpiece. The river's charm extends to its villages. Ancient towns like Dongziguan preserve rich folk cultures and traditional architecture, with white-walled, black-tiled guesthouses dotting the landscape, embodying the unique allure of Jiangnan's water towns. The Fuchun River's fish are a marvel. In 1951, Chairman Mao Zedong wrote a poem for Mr. Liu Yazi, including the lines: "Do not say the Kunming Lake is shallow; / Viewing fish here surpasses the Fuchun River." Every stretch of the Fuchun River is stunning. The Fuyang section is flanked by continuous mountains, with Yong'an Mountain hosting China's largest paragliding training base. Anding Mountain produces "Anding Mist Tea," a premium variety of Zhejiang Longjing tea. Stork Mountain is a cultural landmark in East China, featuring the former residence of writer Yu Dafu at its base and the Bloody Garment Tomb of Yu Dafu's brother, Yu Mantuo, atop. Huang Gongwang's seclusion site in Miaoshanwu, Dongzhou Subdistrict, is where the Yuan Dynasty painter lived and created his iconic work. The core scenic area includes Small Cave Heaven, South Tower, and Shaoji Spring, along with a memorial hall showcasing his life and art. The Tonglu section boasts emerald mountains and clear waters, dotted with historic sites. The eastern route features the Qili Long Scenic Belt and famous spots like "Yanling's Ancient Inquiry," "Tongjun Mountain," and "Zixu's Wild Ferry." Daqishan National Forest Park offers abundant natural landscapes, including clear streams, waterfalls, deep pools, and vast bamboo groves. Yan Ziling's Fishing Platform, where the Eastern Han hermit fished, comprises east and west platforms, 70 and 60 meters high respectively, surrounded by inscriptions and poems left by literati, making it a key historical site along the river. The 23-kilometer Qili Long stretch, divided into "One Pass and Three Gorges" (Black Dragon Pass, Black Dragon Gorge, Zixu Gorge, and Calabash Gorge), passes landmarks like Meicheng Ancient Town, Twin Pagodas Piercing the Clouds, Xujiang Wild Ferry, Calabash Waterfall, and Seven-Mile Sail. The Jiande section is famed for the most enchanting "Little Three Gorges," centered around the Fuchun River National Forest Park, with attractions like "Seven-Mile Sail" and "Calabash Waterfall." "Yan Ziling's Fishing Platform" is a AAAA-rated scenic area blending millennia-old cultural heritage with modern leisure experiences. It includes the Fishing Platform, Little Three Gorges, and Jiangnan Longmen Bay, serving as the real-life setting for "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains." This was the hermitage of Yan Ziling, a renowned Eastern Han scholar, featuring Double Platforms Fishing, Guest Star Pavilion, Yan's Ancestral Hall, the 19th Spring Under Heaven, and East China's First Stele Forest. "Tongjun Mountain" gained fame as the "Holy Land of Medicine" for the legendary Tongjun, who refined elixirs and studied pharmacology here during the Yellow Emperor's reign. The area boasts Tongjun Pavilion, Tongjun Pagoda, Tongjun Ancestral Hall, Alchemy Site, Cliff Inscriptions, and the former residence of Ye Qianyu. Special note: Yan Ziling's Fishing Platform will be temporarily closed starting August 2024 for construction. Currently, the core experience—a boat tour of the Little Three Gorges—remains available, with the entrance temporarily relocated to Jiangnan Longmen Bay.